A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a 24-year Navy officer, Criner obtained teacher certification from Old Dominion University through the Troops to Teachers program. The national program helps retired military personnel obtain teaching positions.

Criner has taught for 10 years and has been active in training teachers entering Newport News schools from other careers.

In November, he received an award for being the top middle school teacher in Hampton Roads from Troops to Teachers. In April, Criner was nominated for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Criner will go on to compete for statewide Teacher of the Year. *

W-JCC official is hired as schools' finance chief

HAMPTON - The Hampton school system has hired Theodore Faulk as director of business and finance. Faulk comes to Hampton schools from the Williamsburg-James City County school system, where he was business manager of the finance department. Faulk earned his master's degree in accounting from Old Dominion University.

He will start his new job July 1 and earn $77,000 a year. *

Charter school will be relocated next year

HAMPTON - Hampton school officials will relocate the city's charter school next year because of a renovation of the site that they're leasing.

Hampton Harbour Academy -- a charter school for students behind in a grade level -- rents space at the Virginia School for the Deaf, Blind and Multi-Disabled on Shell Road for about $169,000 a year. About 35 elementary pupils and about 90 middle school students attend there, but that space is scheduled to be renovated next school year.

The School Board decided this week to move the elementary pupils to a portable classroom at Cooper Elementary on Marcella Road. Middle school students will move to a building owned by Emmanuel Lutheran Ministries. The building on Semple Farm Road used to be a private school run by the church.

Hampton will pay $97,582 to rent the space, which includes 11 classrooms. Teachers and staff will begin the move next month. *

Eaton Middle schooler wins Va. geographic bee

HAMPTON - Eaton Middle School student Ryan Thompson has won the state competition for the 2005 national geographic bee. he will advance to the nationals at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington next week.

Ryan competed as part of 100 winners from geography bees across the state.

Every school winner then took a written test to go on to the state contest. Ryan has qualified for the state competition for the past two years.

He'll compete against 55 other students in the preliminary rounds Tuesday. Ten finalists will meet Wednesday for a chance to win a $25,000 scholarship. The final round of the bee will be televised on PBS and the National Geographic Channel. For viewing times, go to www.nationalgeographic.com. *

HAMPTON - The family of a famous composer and musician has donated a collection of original manuscripts, sheet music, engraving plates, photographs, private papers and books to Hampton University.

The collection contains more than 600 items from Joe Jordan, one of the richest black real estate entrepreneurs of the early 1900s, as well as a ragtime and jazz composer.

"Lovie Joe," created in 1910, was his most famous musical success. He died in 1971.

Jordan's granddaughter Kimi Rabun, the mother of two HU graduates, made the donation.

"We are confident my grandfather's legacy will be preserved at Hampton and that the collection will provide an opportunity for public access to the origins of American jazz music."

The collection will be available for public viewing in the William R. and Norma B. Harvey Library. *

Turn lanes are opened on Route 199 expansion

WILLIAMSBURG - The Road builders expanding Route 199 in Williamsburg opened turn lanes at the Jamestown Road intersection Thursday night, coming in ahead of schedule on the third straight section -- this time by 70 days.

This is the third segment opened by the Jamestown 2007 Corridor Constructors, a consortium of three local contractors building the road. The group beat its first deadline last summer by 52 days and was nearly five months ahead of its second deadline last fall.

The project began in February 2003.

The $31.8 million job is designed to help shuttle visitors around the Historic Triangle during 2007's yearlong celebration of the 400th anniversary of the English settlement of Jamestown.

The final segment, which will widen Route 199 to four lanes from South Henry Street to Brookwood Drive, is scheduled to be open Dec. 30.*

Del. Hamilton named to sex offender panel

NEWPORT NEWS - Del. Phillip Hamilton has been appointed to the state's new sex offender task force.

The panel will review state laws and policies of the sex offender registry, as well as the civil commitment process for sex offenders.

As chairman of the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee, the Newport News Republican is regularly involved in legislative initiatives involving mental health and prison sites.

The task force will conduct its first meeting in Richmond on June 7. It was created at the request of Del. Robert McDonnell, R-Virginia Beach, who's running for attorney general. *